Friday, 13 March 2015

Xander's Surgery

I felt very blessed after Xander's birth. It was just too perfect. I was amazed that the work I did with Birthing From Within actually manifested itself. Now, that might sound a little 'hippy' for some of you- but I feel that childbirth can be a time of intensity. Also, it can be a time of fear, so it is important to work through your fears. Even though my first son's birth (william) was normal and nothing went wrong with it, I was consumed by anxiety that something wrong would happen this time around. Thankfully, I was able to relax in the birthing tub- at least as much as you are able to relax during labour.

Holding him in my arms was amazing. From there, he developed (and is developing well). He is growing each day. He enjoys rolling over and reaching for toys. he has great hand eye coordination.

At first, we thought Xander had a eye infection. The eye appeared swollen, the lid was crusty and yellow. We used warm compresses, breastmilk and warm water to clear the infection. However, the eye continued to appear swollen and he couldn't open his eyelid like his right eye. First, we saw a specialist in the town where we live. He wasn't sure how severe it was but mentioned that he liked like he was born without a eyelid muscle. I was in agreement- I had the thought but hadn't realized it was possible to be born without one.

He referred us to another specialist that he went to school with. This specialist was more familiar with kids. So, I visited him. He did a battery of tests on Xander's eye. He figured that Xander would require surgery. However, he didn't feel comfortable doing the surgery because Xander is under a year. So, he referred us on to the HSC. The doctors tested his eye and looked at the notes. They decided that he needed eyelid surgery * and I agree) because the eye is very crucial- not only to see but also for learning. Xander needed a MRI and Ct scan. The specialists wanted to make sure there was nothing wrong with the structures or orbital bones before doing the surgery. The surgery is apparently a common procedure- however, Xander' s case is quite severe. We wait to hear about the results of both the ct scan and mri. I am very nervous about the whole thing. Surgery is very scary, although children do seem to heal remarkably well. At the same time, I am very grateful the surgery is possible. I am a bundle of nerves!

Thank you~ And if you would like to support us, I have a Gofund me page here-https://funds.gofundme.com/dashboard/xander-039-surgeryThank you for reading! <3